SAN MARCOS, Texas – Friday's doubleheader did not go the way of the Texas State baseball team (19-12, 6-5 Sun Belt) as it dropped both games to Troy (16-14, 5-6 Sun Belt). The Bobcats fell 7-3 in the opener and a comeback attempt fell short 7-6 in the second contest.
 
Game 1 – Troy 7, Texas State 3
The Trojans opened the game by scoring twice in the first. They added a run in the third when Manning Early hit a home run off the scoreboard. The lead was extended to five after the top of the third when Troy scored two more times on singles.
 
Jaxon Williams got TXST on the scoreboard in the bottom of the third when he sent a 2-0 pitch over the left field wall.
 
In the seventh, Travon Benton led off with a double to right field. A fly out by Ryan Newman allowed the senior outfielder to advance to third. He would score when Jaylen Hubbard flew out to deep right center field.
 
The Trojans scored again in the top of the ninth when Tanner Jackson hit a 2 RBI single to left field to put them ahead 7-2.
 
With one out in the bottom of the frame, Benton hit his second straight double. After Jacob Almendarez was hit by a pitch, Hubbard doubled over the centerfielder's head to plate the final run of the game. Texas State had an opportunity to score more as John Wuthrich drew a walk to load the bases, but Russ Hixon induced a pop up and ground out to end the game.
 
Suffering the loss was Nicholas Fraze (4-3) after he allowed five runs on eight hits in six innings. The junior right-hander did strikeout six while walking only one. Cory Gill (3-1) picked up the win after striking out five in seven innings and surrendering two runs on five hits. Hixson picked up his second save of the year.
 
Also seeing action on the mound for the Bobcats were Brent Hebert and Brandon Lewis. Hebert recorded the final two outs in the top of the ninth. Lewis tossed 2.1 innings and struck out four but gave up two runs, two hits and two free passes.
 
Both Dalton Shuffield and Benton had two hits apiece. Benton scored two times and Hubbard drove in two runs.
 
Game 2 – Troy 7, Texas State 6
With one out in the bottom of the first, Benton doubled in his third consecutive at-bat. Williams followed by singling through the right side to Benton and give the Bobcats a 1-0 lead.
 
Shuffield started the second off with a single through the left side and advanced into scoring position by stealing second. Hubbard singled back up the middle as the second baseman knocked down the ball from going too far into the outfield and holding Shuffield at third. A walk to Benton loaded the bases.
 
Williams hit a 1-0 offering hard at the second baseman, who decided to go to second for the final out of the frame but the shortstop was slow to cover the bag as Benton slide in safely and allow a run to score to increase the advantage to 2-0.
 
The lead was short lived as Dalton Sinquefield doubled down the left field line to tie the game.
 
Hubbard put TXST back in front when he smashed a 2-0 offering over the left field netting and onto the softball field for his fourth homer of the season.
 
In the fifth, John Wuthrich singled through the left side to drive in a run to increase the lead back to two runs.
 
Troy tied the game back up again with two runs in the next half inning. The Trojans struck for three runs with the biggest being a two RBI double from Sadler Goodwin to put them up 7-4.
 
With two outs in the bottom of the inning, Wuthrich was issued a free pass on four pitches. Shuffield followed by smacking a 0-2 pitch to left center that saw the left fielder unable to make the jumping catch. The ball rolled all the way to the wall to allow the sophomore infielder to record his second triple of the season and cut the deficit to two.
 
Shuffield began the bottom of the ninth off with a single to right field. He would move up to second when Ryan Newman grounded out to first. On the first pitch he saw, Peyton Lewis laced a single to center that brought Shuffield home to make it a one-run game. However, that would be as close as the Bobcats would get as Hixon go the next two batters out to end the contest.
 
On the mound, Hunter McMahon (4-3) struck out six in 6.1 innings but gave up six runs on six hits to take the loss. Zack Lightsey (1-0) earned the win after going 2.1 innings and surrendering a run on one hit and five walks. Hixon earned his third save and second of the day after working the final 1.1 innings.
 
Shuffield finished 3-for-5 with two runs scored and one RBI. Recorded two hits apiece were Hubbard and Williams, who drove in two runs.
 
The series finale is currently scheduled for 6 p.m. on Saturday.
 
For all things Texas State baseball, be sure to follow the team on Instagram and Twitter.